The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Petunia known by the name `Trumpet Red` (Bodger No. 7P3430-2). The new variety was discovered in a selective breeding program by Mike Heffner at Bodger Seeds, Ltd., Lompoc, Calif. The new variety is a selection from the crossing of inventor's proprietary Petunia selection Bodger No. 7P968-6 (unpatented), the female parent, which is a seedling with spreading decumbent habit and small red colored flowers, with inventor's proprietary Petunia selection Bodger No. 7P1143-9 (unpatented), the male parent, which a is seedling with spreading habit and large red flowers. The male parent is weaker than and is distinguishable from `Trumpet Red` by its shorter stems, 30 cm as contrasted with 46 cm. Additionally, the male parent has smaller flowers. The female parent is distinguished by its small red flowers as contrasted with the large flowers of `Trumpet Red`.
This new variety is the result of a breeding program whose objective was to develop new vegetatively propagated petunias with a spreading cascading habit, large flowers and with a color range not presently available as a cutting product. The variety originated from a cross between two proprietary seedling selections taken from the existing breeding program. The progeny from this cross was grown out during the summer of 1997 and a number of single plants were selected as possible new varieties and propagated vegetatively. The cuttings were trialed and evaluated during winter and summer of 1998 at which time it was determined that this particular line, established from one single plant, was distinguishable and unique.
The new cultivar was first asexually reproduced by terminal vegetative cuttings at Bodger Seeds, Ltd., Lompoc, Calif. and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings at Bodger Seeds Ltd., at Lompoc Calif. It has been found to be stable and true to type through successive propagations.
The new cultivar was grown in a glass greenhouse in Lompoc, Calif., using full light, 60.degree. Fahrenheit night temperature, 77.degree. Fahrenheit day temperature, and grown in soil having a temperature of 80.degree. Fahrenheit. The claimed plant was grown from a terminal vegetative cutting, and exhibited an eight to ten weeks response time from an unrooted cutting to a 25 cm flowering plant.